Monday, June 27, 2016

Jaromir Jagr, Oldest Top-Ten MVP Voting Ever

Jaromir Jagr finished 7th in Hart Trophy voting for the 2015/16 season...at age 43. It was his first top-ten finish in MVP voting in a decade when he finished second in 2005/06. Jagr is now the oldest player ever to finish in the top-ten of NHL MVP voting. Only two other men have done so past the age of 40:

Jacques Plante, Toronto 5th 1971, 42yo

Gordie Howe, Detroit 6th 1970, 41yo

Gordie Howe, Detroit 5th 1969, 40yo

Plante was 5th in voting despite playing only 40 games but he posted a 28-11-4 record and 1.88 GAA for a 4th place team. Howe was 6th in 1969 after scoring 103 points. He followed that up with 71 points in 1970 and another 1st Team All-Star selection. Any way you look at it, pretty heady company for Jagr. If we lower the age threshold to 38 years old, only four other players have finished in the top-ten:

Al MacInnis, St.Louis 6th 2003, 39yo

Howe, Detroit 5th 1968, 39yo

Red Kelly, Toronto 9th 1967, 39yo

Ron Francis, Carolina 6th 2002, 38yo

Gordie Howe, Detroit 7th 1967, 38yo

Red Dutton, NY Americans 5th 1936, 38yo

Jagr was the top scoring player on a first-place team and there is really no reason to think he won't be as valuable to the Panthers again next season...and perhaps many more.